Investing in yourself... IBD
Hello WSO,
I just finished my 1st year at a target Canadian School. I love this forum and I am kinda new here. After having a mediocre year for grades at university I have set out to better myself this summer and in the rest of university years before I start full time. I plan on “investing in myself” as said by Warren Buffet.
This summer I have been reading as much about investing I can: Liars poker, Security analysis, the intelligent investor, the snowball, money culture, Mastering the markets…. To name a few. What are some of your favorite books that you would recommend?
I have also read in this forum for an IB you need three skills: interpersonal/communication, excel, and powerpoint. I feel that I have pretty decent communication skills… however I want to master excel and powerpoint. What did you guys do to excel in your powerpoint and modelling skills?
Any advice is greatly appreciated…
Adaptive Markets by Andrew Lo
To be completely honest with you, forget about all this. Yeah read a few books and learn how to model, but don’t make it your priority. 99% of all interviews are decided based on how much people like you (I’ve been on the other side of the table for a few superdays myself). My instant ding for anyone is when someone asks me about my opinion of the industry we cover or where do I think the markets are headed. People need to learn how to be normal, for God’s sake, I’m not gonna talk to you about my opinion about insert niche bs all the time. Learn how to be personable, go out, talk to people, watch some sports and you’ll be set. Banking is all about being able to sell your ideas, after all.
Totally agree with previous poster. If you really want to invest in yourself, do something memorable with your free time this summer. The process is super competitive so you need to find a way to stand out. Reading a bunch of books from the 1980s is not going to do that for you (by the way, half of those books are not even investment banking related).
Seconding (thirding?) the above. No one is going to test you on Excel/PPT during an interview, and they’re also not going to want to hear your philosophy on investing.
Having interviewed a few prospects, a common mistake is trying to seem too dedicated and just coming off as weird. IBD is not rocket science, you just need a strong work ethic and to be able to do it for long hours. 90% of the interview is whether they like you and can see themselves spending every day with you. Invest in real hobbies to become well rounded, get your grades up (this is >>>>>>any finance interest or hobbies when it comes to recruiting) and come off as social and friendly
Wdym by too dedicated? Is it bad to say you attended many IB diversity events to learn more about the industry and firm?
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